Choosing a Ferro Rod: What You Should Know.
Ferro Rods are not created equal. Because ferrocerium is a synthetic blend of a few different elements, the composition can vary significantly between manufacturers. This can make it tough to know what you’re buying, especially if its from an unknown brand.
While most ferro rods are cheap enough that it doesn’t really matter to some people - we think its worth knowing what to look for; and worth choosing the one that will make establishing camp just that little bit easier in the wilderness.
It is a tool, after all. And it’s a tool that you may come to rely on in a survival situation, so it pays to get it right.
For those who are new to ferro rods, they work by removing the ferrocerium material with a scraping/striking action. This action creates a burning spark due to ferrocerium's low ignition temperature (around 150–180 °C). These molten sparks will continue to burn for a short period of time, igniting your tinder material. Ferrocerium will do this regardless of temperature, humidity, or altitude - making it an extremely versatile and reliable firestarting method.
Things to Consider
Hardness
This is where you will find the largest variance between brands, and its also amongst the most important factors to consider when buying a ferro rod.
Unfortunately most brands will leave this key bit of info out, making it tough to know what you’re actually buying. If the manufacturer gives an indication of hardness, you’ll know what you’re getting, and can then get the rod that best suits your preference.
Hardness will affect several things:
Burn temp: Generally a harder composition will burn hotter. A softer composition requires less energy to remove material, and will therefore burn colder. Keep in mind that we’re talking thousands of degrees here, so a little variance in temperature isn’t a deal-breaker.
Spark size: Harder ferro rods will throw smaller, lighter sparks that burn out quicker. Softer ferro rods will produce larger, heavier sparks that burn for longer.
Longevity: Typically the harder the ferrocerium, the longer the rod will last. You’re removing less material with each strike, naturally this means you’ll get more strikes out of a rod.
Usability: Harder = more effort to strike. Softer = less effort to strike.
You should be starting to get an idea on how these factors work together now.
A ferro rod with high hardness will produce a hotter spark and last longer before wearing out, but it will require more effort to strike and become much more difficult to start a fire with. That’s not ideal in an emergency situation.
A softer composition is much easier to ignite, and throws a larger, longer burning spark. But it will wear out faster. This is fine for occasional use, or as a back up emergency firestarter. But less than ideal when practicing, or for regular use.
When testing compositions for the FURNACE Ferro Rod, we aimed for the best of both worlds. A composition that balanced ease-of-use with durability. We refer to it as Easy-Spark™, and it delivers some real consistency in the world of ferro rods.
Pro tip: In theory, most rods will be good for tens of thousands of strikes before wearing down to nothing. Whilst strike counts will give you a good indication of hardness, its important to remember it also depends on the thickness of the rod (no joke intended). Plus, you’ll likely lose your ferro rod before it ever wears out. Trust us, we’ve been through a few!
2. Size
Two things come into play here… thickness and length.
Thickness: When you’re shopping for a ferro rod, aim for one with some good girth on it. Around 10mm is a good balance between weight, ease-of-use, and longevity. Thinner rods have a shorter effective lifespan, are harder to use, and put off less sparks.
If your intention is to keep your ferro rod as a back-up/emergency firestarting tool, an 8mm rod will be fine. Just make sure she’s a good quality one so you’re not stuck without a reliable fire starting method.
Length: Short enough to not be a hassle, long enough to get a good stroke on it. Remember, the more material you can remove in one go, the more sparks, the more heat, and the more reliable your ferro rod will be. Shorter rods are great for lighting gas stoves as you only need a small spark. Longer rods are better for starting a wood fire with tinder as you need that concentrated heat.
Pro-tip: Ferro rods vary greatly in thickness. Use whatever is comfortable for you, but remember that ferrocerium is a heavy material and a larger rod has a poor weight/benefit ratio in your pack.
3. Comfort
A good ferro rod has an ergonomic handle and plenty of grip. We opted for wood on ours as it provides a sturdy grip, doesn’t get cold like metal does, and has a much nicer feel than plastic.
Most of the comfort will come down to personal preference, but aim for a rod thats easy to both hold and use with cold hands or gloves.
A good grip will improve control and reduce the chance of you destroying your carefully arranged tinder pile.
4. Striker
A good striker makes all the difference. The key things to look for here are:
sharp 90-degree edge
hard striker material (carbon steel works best)
comfort
The striker plays a massive role in the reliability and quality of your spark. A sharper and harder corner will strip that ferrocerium away with ease and produce large hot sparks. A comfortable hold on the striker will deliver control, allowing you to perfectly place those sparks right where you need them.
Pro-tip: It’s common to use the spine of a knife as a striker. You can also make your own out of steel, or use the one that comes with the rod. Our ferro rods come with an included striker that removes a good amount of material and produce reliable sparks, but feel free to use whatever is comfortable for your hands.
Summary
Ferro rods are an awesome and essential bit of gear for anybody who regularly ventures into the outdoors. While they do take some practice to use effectively, you simply can’t beat the reliability and longevity that a quality ferro rod provides. When you’re shopping around, these above tips will help you to choose the right tool for the job.
We’ve done the hard-yards in testing and comparing different compositions so you don’t have to. Shop Falko ferro rods here and establish your next camp with full confidence.
